Lady Arpels Poetic Wish

Extraordinary DialsTM are at the foundation of Van Cleef & Arpels’  Poetry of TimeTM. The extremely precise skills of the craftsmen who work with the most precious materials accentuate the exquisite detail and refinement of the timepieces. Rising to the challenge set by the master watchmakers,  the Mains d’Or (golden hands) - artisans for whom nothing is impossible - practise their art on the dials to create miniature masterpieces.  

The movement   

Changing the representation of passing time...  

The Poetic ComplicationsTM, created in 2006 by the Maison Van Cleef & Arpels, are inspired by a unique idea: how to take the measure of time while telling  a story.  

The two Poetic Wish watches are time-keeping masterpieces. With them, the Maison once again pushes the limits of technical prowess. Each watch features three integrated automatons. As is the case for all of the Van Cleef & Arpels Poetic ComplicationsTM, in addition to their ornamental function, they show the hours and the minutes.  

The Poetic Wish movement indicates the hour and the minutes thanks to a “poetic animation” and a 5-minute repeater mechanism: striking the hours and then the number of 5-minute periods since the hour. The action of the hammers for the repeater strikes the bells situated behind the crystal case back.   

The crown, located at 2 o’clock, triggers the animation: 

On the left side of the Lady Arpels Poetic Wish tiemepiece’s dial, the silhouette of a young woman moves slowly to the centre of the watch, to indicate the exact hour. A second automaton, a mother-of-pearl cloud, moves horizontally towards her. When the two meet, the bells of Notre-Dame  Cathedral ring out to strike the hour. A kite then appears from behind the cloud and flies across the sky to indicate the minutes, to the rhythm of the musical chiming of the bells. 

The three automatons resume their initial positions just in time to make a wish.  

The 5-minute repeater mechanism uses a low tone for the hours and a high tone for the minutes. These watches offer a double indication of the time. A transparent crystal case back reveals the movement, the hammers, the bells and two display dials: one indicates the hours and minutes; the other is for  the seconds.  

Each watch is equipped with a patented, mechanical 21 600 Ah movement featuring a central opening for the hammers. 

The movement has a 60 hours power reserve.   

   

Each Poetic Wish timepiece is presented in its own extraordinary cabinet made of precious woods and mother-of-pearl inlay. The boxes tell the story of the Poetic Wish watches and, when they are put together, the young lovers are reunited. The cabinet’s interiors have been conceived following the tradition of stringed-instrument makers so as to enhance the sound of the Poetic ComplicationsTM. The watch, placed in its customised box, becomes a collector’s piece.